Combination joint and traffic line installing machine



May I, 1934. J N, HELTZEL 1,956,680

COMBINATION JOINT AND TRAFFIC LINE INSTALLING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIE.1.

JNQHELTZEL/ %1,W/ML$M May 1, 1934. HELTZEL 1,956,680

COMBINATION JOINT AND TRAFFIC LINE INSTALLING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 4, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3 F[E.4

J N-HELTZEL Patented May 1, 1934 STATES PATET rider:

COMBINATION JOINT AND TRAFFIC LINE INSTALLING MACHINE John N. Heltzel, Warren, Ohio 18 Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for installing joints and traflic lines in concrete roads during the building thereof, and this application is a division of application Serial No. 6,806, filed Feb. 4, 1925, (now Patent No. 1,740,345, granted Dec. 17, 1929).

One object of the invention is the provision of novel and improved means for and method of installing a joint or trafiic line, or a combined traffic line and joint, in a roadway under construction.

Another object is the provision of joint installing means including spaced blades to facilitate. the formation of a groove or channel in the plastic concrete and to direct joint material or a joint member downwardly into. position in the plastic concrete, said blades being movable longitudinally of themselves.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts and in the method, as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of the traveling bridge or apparatus, showing the longitudinal blades supported thereby and gauged by the side forms.

Fig. 2 is an end View of the blades positioned in the concrete (shown in section) and prior to the routing operation.

Fig. 3 is a section of the concrete structure after the routing operation, showing in dotted lines the undercuts made subsequently.

Fig. 4 is a section of the concrete, showing the traffic line or joint installed.

Fig. 5 is an end view of a pair of modified blades which are used to form a combination traffic line and joint, showing such blades in the concrete (shown in section) prior to the routing operation.

Fig. 6 is a section of the concrete after the routing operation has been completed and the blades removed.

Fig. 7 is a section of the concrete after the trafiic line material has been installed, showing the completed combination joint and traffic line.

Fig. 8 is a cross section of the concrete showing a modified combination joint and traffic line form inserted in the plastic concrete.

Fig. 9 is a cross section of another modification involving the use of a removable trafiic line form.

Fig. 10 is a cross section of the completed combination traffic line and joint, after the form of either Fig. 9 or Fig. 10 has been replaced by a suitable plastic filler.

The suitable filler referred to above may consist of semi-plastic material, colored concrete, bituminous macadam, amesite, Kentucky rock, bituminous concrete, or other suitable permanent material to seal the joint and provide a distinct traffic line.

Referring to Fig. 1, the side forms 1 define the edges of the road and wheels 2 mounted in suitable frames 3 travel on said forms. Transverse trusses or frames 4 span the roadway and connect the frames 3 to provide a traveling bridge. Spaced longitudinal platforms 5 are carried by the bridge for the convenience of workmen. Spaced blades 6 are supported from the bridge for up and down movement to and from the eoncrete, and provision for lateral adjustment of the spaced blades is made so that the blades may be adjusted to the center of the roadway. The spaced blades are also adjustable to various widths so as to accommodate various widths of joints or trafiic line members and to permit insertion of various widths of material between the blades.

Means 103 and 105 are provided at a suitable distance in advance of the spaced blades to separate the stones or coarser aggregate along the predetermined lines followed by the spaced blades. Any suitable implement known in the art may be used to spade the concrete between the blades and to rout out or remove any desirable amount of concrete to facilitate the insertion of joint strip or removable joint material or a form.

Roller portions 103 associated with the disc cutter 103 act to depress the concrete along the cleavage made by the cutter 103. The follower blade 105 trails rearwardly of the disc 103 and may widen the groove formed by the disc 103.

When the blades 6 are forced into the plastic concrete, as seen in Fig. 2, they cleave the concrete, and the concrete between the clefts or slots is routed out or otherwise removed, to produce a channel. Into this channel is deposited suitable plastic material, which may be colored to distinguish it from the concrete slabs, or a permanent or removable form or strip may be deposited in the channel between the blades, being moved downwardly between the blades into the channel. The plastic material, if used, may also be deposited between the blades into the channel.

The blades may be moved to the next successive position, either by moving the blades longitudinally of themselves in the plastic concrete while in contact with the joint material, strip or form, or the blades may be raised to withdraw them from the concrete, after which the blades are moved longitudinally of themselves with the carriage and then moved. downwardly into the plastic concrete.

The blades, when raised, may also be used to guide a finishing tool between them for finishing the surface and edges of the joint strip or ma terial. As shown in Fig. 4, the edges of the joint strip '7 and channel are rounded or bevelled ofi.

In some instances, the blades may be raised slightly, and the side walls of the channel, or at least one of them, undercut, as indicated at 8 in dotted lines in Fig. 8, to provide a dove-tail or other suitable anchor for the joint material or strip '7, as seen in Fig. l. The blades 6 must be removed, either partially or completely, from the channel, however, to permit the undercutting to be done, and the concrete must have obtained a sufficient set to permit of such operation.

As shown in Fig. 5, one of the spaced blades 9 may extend downwardly farther than the other so as to cut or divide the concrete below the channel, as seen in Fig. 6, for separating the slabs. The cut may extend to any suitable depth below the channel, or to the bottom of the slabs as shown. The joint material 10 is poured into the channel after the concrete has been routed out or removed from between the blades, or a joint strip or form may be deposited in the channel. The cut made will divide the concrete along the joint and below the joint strip, whereas with the construction shown in Fig. 4 an irregular break may occur below the joint strip '7.

As shown in Fig. '2 the wall of the channel opposite to the deep cut is undercut to anchor the joint strip or material 10 in the channel.

Fig. 8 illustrates a form 12 which may be deposited downwardly between spaced blades into the plastic concrete, for producing a channel with a deep groove between the side walls of the channel. The form may be removed subsequently, after the concrete has hardened. Fig. 9 shows a similar form 13 having a removable cap strip 14 which when removed permits the side walls of the form to be sprung toward one another to facilitate removal of the form from the concrete.

Fig. 10 illustrates the channel and groove produced either by the form 12 or the form 13, filled with suitable joint material 15. The concrete, when hardened, will fracture or crack, as at 16, between the bottom of the groove and the subbase, thereby producing a combination traffic line and joint strip.

The member 12, instead of being a removable form, may be a permanent strip embedded in the concrete to provide the traffic line and joint.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An apparatus of the kind described comprising spaced blades mounted for longitudinal movement longitudinally of themselves, one of said blades being adapted to penetrate the plastic concrete to a greater depth than the opposite blade to produce a joint in the concrete.

2. An apparatus of the kind described comprising spaced blades, said spaced blades being adjustable to and from one another to accommodate various widths of joint members to be inserted between them.

3. A method of the character described consisting in producing spaced slots in plastic concrete, removing the concrete from between said slots to form a channel, and placing a suitable filler in said channel.

4. A method of the character described consisting in cleaving plastic concrete by spaced blades, removing the concrete from between the blades to form a channel, and placing a suitable filler in said channel.

5. A method of the character described consisting in cleaving plastic concrete by spaced blades, removing the concrete from between the blades to form a channel, and depositing a suitable filler between said blades into said channel.

6. A method of the character described consisting in cleaving plastic concrete by spaced blades moved longitudinally of themselves, removing the concrete from between the blades to form a channel, and depositing a suitable filler between the blades into said channel.

'7. A method of the character described consisting in producing slots in plastic con rete with one slot deeper than the other to form a joint, removing the concrete from between the slots to form a channel, and depositing a suitable filler in said channel.

8. A method of the character described consisting in cleaving plastic concrete by spaced blades one of which extends downwardly farther than the other, removing the concrete from between said blades to provide a channel with a slot below same, and depositing a suitable filler in said channel.

9. A method of the character described consisting in producing a channel in plastic concrete, undercutting at least one side wall of the channel, and filling the channel with suitable material.

10. A method of the character described consisting in producing spaced slots in plastic concrete, removing the concrete from between said slots to form a channel, undercutting at least one side wall of the channel, and filling the channel with suitable material.

11. A method of the character described consisting in producing a slot and a channel in plastic concrete with the slot extending downwardly below the channel to form a joint, and depositing a suitable filler in said channel.

12. An apparatus of the character described comprising spaced blades adapted to enter plastic concrete and to define the width of a traffic line or joint and to guide joint material and tools between them.

13. A method of the character described which consists in slotting a concrete road on spaced parallel lines, thereafter routing out the concrete between the spaced slots to provide a channel, and depositing a filler in the channel.

14. A method of the character described which consists in cleaving a concrete road longitudinally by elongated spaced parallel blades, routing out the intermediate concrete between the spaced blades to form a channel, and depositing a filler in the channel.

15. A method of the character described which consists in cleaving a concrete road by elongated spaced parallel blades, thereafter routing out the intermediate concrete between and guided by the spaced blades, and subsequently inserting a filler between and guided by the spaced blades.

16. A method of the character described which consists in producing spaced slots a concrete structure to define the walls of a channel and a weakened portion beneath the channel, routing out the concrete between the slots to produce such channel, and depositing filling material in the channel.

to form spaced slots therein and to guide a tool in routing out the material between the slots to form a channel, and a filling material deposited in the channel through the opening between said blades.

JOHN N. HELTZEL. 

